Flashman at the Charge / Flashman in the Great Game ~ George MacDonald Fraser

Flashman at the Charge / Flashman in the Great Game ~ George MacDonald Fraser

2 stories in 1 book

Large hard cover with dust jacket
Shelf-wear evident on cover but generally good condition

Flashman at the Charge follows the reluctant hero Harry Flashman as hes assigned to supervise Prince William of Celle during the Crimean War. Though eager to avoid combat, Flashman finds himself caught in the chaos of the Charge of the Light Brigade. Captured by Russian forces, he is imprisoned in Ukraine before being dragged across Central Asia, uncovering a Russian plan to invade British India. Through a mix of cowardice, luck, and opportunism, he ends up leading a rocket attack that thwarts the scheme. Along the way, he reunites with old acquaintances, encounters scandalous affairs, and inadvertently earns heroic acclaim despite his efforts to flee danger.

Flashman in the Great Game drops Flashman into the turbulent backdrop of the Indian Mutiny. Sent by Lord Palmerston to investigate rising tensions, Flashman narrowly escapes assassination and infiltrates rebel factions in disguise. His journey exposes him to some of the darkest chapters of the rebellion, including the massacres at Cawnpore and the siege of Lucknow. He encounters key historical figures, notably the charismatic Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, with whom he shares a charged and perilous interaction. Nearly executed as a traitor, he escapes with his life and is improbably decorated with honors, continuing his unlikely streak of surviving and thriving amidst imperial chaos.